D.C. to reinstate snow emergency at 4 p.m.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced Tuesday that he will reinstate the snow emergency at 4 p.m. to clear major roadways in anticipation of the approaching storm.

Fenty (D) had lifted the snow emergency Monday, but he said emergency routes will once again need to be cleared by rush hour. Vehicles parked on those routes will be towed.

Fenty updated the city's snow removal efforts at a news conference shown live by NewsChannel 8.

Gabe Klein, director of the District Department of Transportation, and Bill Howland, director of the Department of Public Works, outlined new strategies to removing the snow that remains on side streets and fighting the next storm.

Klein partially blamed poorly parked vehicles for delayed removal of the snow. He said smaller equipment would be enlisted to get around those vehicles. He said it was important to dig residents out since they would need to shop for more supplies for the new storm.

Howland said they would also use bulldozers since some of the smaller plows could not get in other areas.

Both men said the city was getting more salt to shore up supplies.

Fenty said there was a "silver lining" to the snow, praising government workers and residents for helping each other. "It's been great to see the city unified," Fenty said.

Fenty's administration did a terrible job of communicating with the public. How was anyone to know that the snow emergency had been lifted? Now we here that the emergency will be reinstated, on the Post's site- that is ridiculous. not everyone has News Channel 8. Why can't the most up-to-date info be posted on the DC.gov site? Why can't the 311 call center have the most up-to-date info? fenty doesn't get it, and he needs to go!!!

Can you guys ask Fenty what his forecast is on money available for another Potholapalooza for 2010? I am afraid all these storms will mean that the city will have nothing but potholes for the rest of the year to remind us of winter. I've already seen a few choice ones on snow emergency routes today.

The DC government's emergency notification system, website, and 311 line are a JOKE. We got a $250 ticket for being parked in a "snow emergency route" on the 1200 block of M St NW, which is NOT marked with any signs, and is NOT marked as a snow emergency route on the map avaliable on the DC DOT website, the link to which was emailed out on Friday as part of a notification service I subscribe to (I'm making every effort to get information, it's not as if I'm willfully ignorant of where I can park and when snow emergencies have been declared.) I called the 311 line to confirm that the area is not an emergency route, and was told by the individual who answered that she couldn't give me that information, after she interrupted me repeatedly to give me answers to questions I wasn't asking. Trying to get information from the DC government website is almost as frustrating.

A Snow Emergency means they recognize the severe issue of inclement and for people safety that want them off the road. However, he is requiring all DC Personal and to be at work until the business day is over.

Although metro is a challenge, walking in the roads are a challenge, and he nicely added parking is a challenge.

Fenty needs a few classes in management, businees, leadership and project organization. He fails to grasp basic concepts.

It would be nice if someone in the DC government informed the idiot cab drivers that the emergency snow rate of 125% is not 5 times the regular rate. Teach them to understand English while you're at it, too.

Philip_S the emergency evacuation routes are noted by the street name signs with the District flag and now the "evacuation route" sign. These are not necessarily the same as the snow emergency routes. In many cases they are, but not all. Snow emergency routes are explicitly noted in the DC Munipal Regulation listed as follows: http://www.ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?group=1586&doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/services/snow/ser-list-rev.pdf